Updating the system automatically

You can update the entire system in a coordinated process with no user intervention after the update is initiated.

Follow these steps to update to version 7.5 or later from version 7.4 or later. If you are updating from a release previous to version 7.4.0, follow the instructions in that previous release. However, you are required to confirm the update, which is not included in those steps. After you follow the instructions for your release, return here and continue with step 5.

Before you update your system, review all of the topics in Updating to understand how the process works. Allow adequate time, such as up to a week in some cases to look for potential problems or known bugs.

Restriction: Before you can update to version 7.6.0 or later, the total memory in each node canister must be 8 GB. Otherwise, you receive an error and cannot complete the update. To add cache memory, you must update to the 7.5.0.4 fix pack:
  1. Download the 7.5.0.4 fix pack from the following website:

    www.ibm.com/support

  2. After you install the fix pack, follow the directions for adding cache memory to a system.
  3. After you add the cache memory, confirm the update in the event log. The confirmation restarts each canister in order and can take up to 30 minutes to complete.

When the system detects that the hardware is not running at the expected level, the system applies the correct firmware.

If you want to update without host I/O, shut down all hosts before you start the update.

Complete the following steps to update the system automatically:
  1. In the management GUI, select Settings > System > Update System.
  2. Click Update.
  3. Select the test utility and the code package that you downloaded from the support site. The test utility verifies that the system is ready to be updated.
  4. Click Update. As the canisters on the system are updated, the management GUI displays the progress for each canister.
  5. If you are updating from a release before 7.4.0, you receive an event 2050 message, Update complete; confirmation required, which is displayed in Health Status in the management GUI. On the Update page, click Confirm Update. The confirmation restarts each canister in order and takes about 30 minutes to complete.

Monitor the update information in the management GUI to determine when the process is complete.

If the process stalls during the update, click Resume to continue with the update or click Cancel to abandon the update and restore the previous level of code. You can also use the CLI command applysoftware -resume to resume the update.